Eight years into Sharon Versyp’s tenure as head coach of the Purdue women’s basketball program and the former Boilermaker point guard is happy with the direction, but …

“We’re exactly where we need to be, but we need to make that next step. Everybody knows that and everybody wants to do that,” Versyp said.

The next step is getting past the second round of the NCAA tournament, something that’s eluded Versyp’s teams since 2009. Despite playing at home twice in the last three years as a No. 4 seed, the Boilermakers haven’t advanced to the Sweet 16.

“We’re trying to make that next jump, and that next jump is you have to stay healthy and you’re always not going to stay healthy,” she said. “We’ve got to be able to have these other players around to keep forging forward and taking that next step.”

Getting stopped in the second round again is a constant reminder.

“That was one of our emphases at the beginning of the season — to get to the Sweet 16,” point guard April Wilson said. “It will be our emphasis starting now.

“I don’t know if we were as hungry as we are now. Losing in the second round this year, the year before and the year before I came in, I think we’re a lot hungrier now. We’re going to get after it starting now.”

Versyp continues to search for players that “can elevate you.”

The 2015 class features Bedford’s Dominique McBryde and South Bend Washington’s Tiara Murphy, both ranked in the top 25 nationally by ESPN. Incoming freshman Justine Hall is the highest ranked member of her class at No. 74, according to ESPN.

“I think we’ve recruited well, and we’ll continue to see that over the next three years how that will pan out. But we’ve got to get that stud,” Versyp said. “You’ve got to get that blue-chip player that, at any time, can take over a basketball game. We have kids that are capable, but you’ve got to want it every second.”